Americans United - Michiganhttps://www.au.org/tags/michigan
enTaking the Plunge: What Happens if the Supreme Court Grants Marriage Equality to LGBT Coupleshttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/taking-the-plunge-what-happens-if-the-supreme-court-grants-marriage
<a href="/about/people/gregory-lipper">Gregory Lipper</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A ruling in favor of marriage equality would reinforce that government benefits and privileges must be offered according to secular principles, not religious dogma.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p><em>Editor’s Note: The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014-15 term is coming to a close, and a landmark ruling on marriage equality is pending. In light of that, “The Wall of Separation” asked AU’s Legal Department to examine the three possible outcomes in this case. In this blog post, Gregory Lipper, senior litigation counsel, and Matthew Russo, an AU legal intern, discuss what will likely happen if the high court extends marriage equality nationwide.</em></p><p>We are hurtling towards the end of this year’s Supreme Court term, with the remaining decisions expected by the end of June. In <em>Obergefell v. Hodges</em>, the <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/obergefell-v-hodges/">Supreme Court is considering</a> whether the Constitution requires states to (1) issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and (2) recognize out-of-state marriages between such couples.</p><p>There are three possible outcomes: The high court could require states to issue licenses <em>and</em> to recognize out-of-state marriages; the court could allow states to do neither or the court could split the difference, allowing states to withhold licenses but requiring them to recognize marriages that took place in other states.</p><p>While we wait for the court’s decision, we’ll set out to explain the legal and practical consequences of each of these three possible outcomes. Today, we’ll look at the result we favor: a ruling that states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize the out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples.</p><p>This would be a sweeping victory, bringing marriage equality to all 50 states. The right of same-sex couples to get married would be protected by the Constitution, and that fundamental right could not be revoked by politicians or popular vote. Same-sex couples would no longer need to worry about losing their marital status if they move from one state to another. They would enjoy the same practical benefits of marriage -- inheritance, hospital visitation, child custody and more – that opposite-sex couples take for granted. Perhaps most importantly, same-sex couples and their children would be entitled to the stability and dignity that accompanies marriage.</p><p>More generally, a ruling in favor of marriage equality would reinforce that government benefits and privileges must be offered according to secular principles, not religious dogma. To be sure, some Americans have religious objections to marriage between same-sex individuals. But in a country grounded in the separation of church and state, one person’s religious objections are not a legitimate reason to deny rights to others.</p><p>Although a constitutional right to marriage equality would be a major victory for civil rights, it would not end the fight. Unfortunately, we are entering the era of <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/june-2015-church-state/featured/left-behind">religious refusals</a>.</p><p>Already, a variety of businesses – <a href="https://www.au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/masterpiece-cakeshop-v-craig">bakers</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/30/barronelle-stutzman-fined_n_6971122.html">florists</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/06/12/a-maryland-dj-has-refused-to-work-a-birthday-party-for-a-gay-man-we-ought-to-obey-god-rather-than-men/">DJs</a> and even <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/04/indiana-pizzeria-gay-couples">pizzerias</a> – have invoked religion as a basis for refusing to serve same-sex individuals or couples. States are continuing to propose and pass legislation intended to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/20/bobby-jindal-promises-executive-order-allowing-discrimination-against-same-sex-couples/">facilitate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation</a>.</p><p>Michigan, whose marriage ban is currently before the Supreme Court, just enacted a law <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2015/06/11/faith-based-adoption/71074414/">allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples</a>. North Carolina, whose marriage ban was struck down by a federal court of appeals, has <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/north-carolina-legislators-will-regret-the-day-they-voted-for-religion-based">a new law</a> allowing individual magistrates to withhold marriage licenses on religious grounds. And Alabama, whose marriage ban has been struck down repeatedly by a federal court, faces <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/alabama-probate-judge-faces-conflicting-commands-in-same-sex#.iqoo6EOJwD">ongoing obstruction from state officials</a>, including its own chief justice. Some <a href="http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/05/roy_moore_suggests_impeachment.html">judges</a> and <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/santorum-supreme-court-doesnt-get-final-say-on-gay-marriage/">presidential candidates</a> have even gone so far as to call into question the authority of the Supreme Court to enforce the Constitution.</p><p>As these examples illustrate, too many people will continue to insist on treating same-sex couples as second-class citizens.</p><p>These fights over religious refusals will find their way into courts across the country, as individuals and businesses argue that they have a religious right to discriminate. Our legal team has <a href="https://www.au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/masterpiece-cakeshop-v-craig">opposed efforts to obtain religious exemptions from antidiscrimination law</a>s, and we will continue to do so.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/freedom-of-religion-and-same-sex-marriage-can-co-exist-americans-united-tells">we told the Supreme Court</a> earlier this year, equality and religious liberty can and should coexist. But the price of equal status when it comes to marriage should not be second-class status at the lunch counter – or the bakery, the flower shop, or the workplace. Courts rightfully rejected attempts to use religion as an excuse to discriminate against people of color, inter-racial couples, and women; let’s hope they get it right this time as well.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/marriage">Marriage</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/supreme-court">Supreme Court</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/same-sex-marriage">same-sex marriage</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/au-celebrates-and-defends-marriage-equality">AU Celebrates -- And Defends -- Marriage Equality!</a></span></div></div>Thu, 18 Jun 2015 14:51:59 +0000Rob Boston11194 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/taking-the-plunge-what-happens-if-the-supreme-court-grants-marriage#commentsBigoted Bills: Michigan And North Carolina Pass Discriminatory Anti-LGBT Measures https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bigoted-bills-michigan-and-north-carolina-pass-discriminatory-anti-lgbt
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yesterday, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed a series of bills that collectively permit publicly funded adoption agencies to discriminate on the basis of religion. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on marriage equality. But in anticipation of the verdict, state legislators have rammed a number of anti-LGBT bills through legislatures and onto the books.<br /><br />Yesterday, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed a series of bills that collectively permit publicly funded adoption agencies to discriminate on the basis of religion. <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/michigan-legislature-passes-bills-allowing-adoption-agencies#.snBXVJNBeM">Buzzfeed reports</a> that Snyder claimed the bills “prevent faith-based agencies from having policies forced on them that violate their religious beliefs, which have resulted in agencies closing in Massachusetts, Illinois, California, and Washington, D.C.”</p><p>Snyder is likely referring to Catholic adoption agencies. A number <a href="https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/ByIssue/Article/TabId/735/ArtMID/13636/ArticleID/14666/Tough-times-for-Catholic-adoption-agencies.aspx">have indeed closed</a> in several states due to their <a href="http://www.catholic.org/news/national/story.php?id=41680">refusal</a> to adhere to local anti-discrimination ordinances.</p><p>Michigan is not the only state legislature to propose this discriminatory measure; a similar bill recently died in Florida, and Virginia and North Dakota have similar laws on the books. It is the first state, however, to pass it during this legislative session.</p><p>And the consequences will likely be severe. Faith-based adoption agencies will now be able to turn away any couple on religious grounds. That has obvious implications for LGBT rights, but families from minority religious backgrounds – including atheists – could also be affected.</p><p>Meanwhile in North Carolina, both chambers of the state legislature voted to override Gov. Pat McCrory’s veto of a discriminatory “religious freedom” measure that allows magistrates to refuse to solemnize marriages. It also allows registers of deeds to refuse to issue marriage licenses.</p><p><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/06/11/north_carolina_passes_law_letting_magistrates_claim_religious_exemption.html">Writing at <em>Slate</em></a><em>, </em>Mark Joseph Stern explained that the bill has sweeping implications for the status of religious freedom in the state.</p><p>“From now on, a magistrate or register of deeds need only assert that serving a gay couple (or interracial couple, or interfaith couple) violates her religious beliefs. As soon as she does, she will be allowed to refuse to do her job,” Stern wrote.</p><p>He added, “A magistrate or register of deeds may wait until the moment a gay couple walks into his office to claim his religious exemption. Once he does, he is automatically excused from performing any marriages, or issuing any marriage licenses, for at least six months.”</p><p>The bill’s sponsors argued that it was necessary to protect the First Amendment rights of magistrates; several resigned from office after a court struck down the state’s same-sex marriage ban.<br /><br />“It’s the way employment law has worked for more than 50 years and it was only in this misguided memo ... that even started this issue,” said State Rep. Paul Stam (R-Wake County), as <a href="http://abc11.com/news/nc-house-overrides-magistrate-same-sex-marriage-veto/778183/">quoted by Raleigh’s WTVD 11</a>.</p><p>McCrory, though no supporter of marriage equality, had vetoed the bill out of concerns that it would undermine the office of magistrate.<br /><br />“No public official who voluntarily swears to support and defend the Constitution and to discharge all duties of their office should be exempt from upholding that oath,” he said in a public statement.</p><p>But this week, the House voted 69-41 to overturn his veto. Last week, the Senate voted 32-16 to do the same. </p><p>The Religious Right applauded the move. Tami Fitzgerald, who heads the North Carolina Values Coalition, said, “It’s hard to believe that any governor – much less a conservative one – would veto a bill protecting the religious freedoms of his constituents.” (Fitzgerald, it’s worth noting, <a href="http://www.valuesvotersummit.org/breakout">led a breakout session</a> on anti-choice organizing at the Values Voters Summit last year.)</p><p>But as we’ve said so often at Americans United, this isn’t really about religious freedom. Consider Michigan’s bill: As written, it could easily permit the victimization of families whose sincerely held beliefs are at odds with the Religious Right. It protects religious fundamentalists, and not anybody else. That’s not really religious freedom.</p><p>The same is true for North Carolina’s bill. It’s written so broadly that atheist couples, or couples from minority religious backgrounds, could be turned away by a magistrate. Its backers have ignored this, and that’s likely no accident. Members of the Religious Right turnout on election day, and its activists are more likely to vote for you if you accept its skewed definition of religious freedom.</p><p>It’s time to end these political games. Legislators should remember that they’ve been elected to office to represent all their constituents—not just their co-religionists.</p><p>P.S. If you live in North Carolina and are turned away by a magistrate, contact Americans United at <a href="mailto:americansunited@au.org">americansunited@au.org</a>. We may be able to help. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice">Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice in the Workplace</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-refusals-and-rfra">Religious Refusals and RFRA</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/north-carolina">north carolina</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/lgbt-rights">LGBT rights</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-freedom">religious freedom</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-refusals">Religious Refusals</a></span></div></div>Fri, 12 Jun 2015 17:10:23 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones11188 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bigoted-bills-michigan-and-north-carolina-pass-discriminatory-anti-lgbt#commentsDeja Vu All Over Again: Religious Objections To Interracial Marriage And Same-Sex Marriage https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/deja-vu-all-over-again-religious-objections-to-interracial-marriage-and
<a href="/about/people/gregory-lipper">Gregory Lipper</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Opposition to marriage equality remains rooted in certain religious beliefs.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>“Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” has become a cliché, but opposition to marriage equality remains rooted in certain religious beliefs. The same-sex marriage bans of four states will be considered next week by the Supreme Court in <em>Obergefell v. Hodges</em>. Proponents of these marriage bans framed their arguments in religious terms; legislators even quoted scripture and proclaimed that the ban was necessary “<a href="https://www.au.org/our-work/legal/lawsuits/bourke-v-beshear">for the stability of society and for the greater glory of God</a>.”</p><p>The states’ lawyers defending these marriage bans have wisely refrained from invoking religion in their briefs to the high court, but they hint at it all the same; <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/14-562-bs.pdf">one state argues</a> that the so-called “traditional definition” of marriage “goes back thousands of years.” And many of the third-party groups supporting the marriage bans have been even more explicit in arguing that their own religious beliefs justify their opposition to other people's marriages.</p><p>Some examples:</p><p>* The Michigan Catholic Conference <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/14-571bsacMichiganCatholicConference.pdf">tells the court</a> that “[t]he basis of our government is religion.” The brief repeatedly cites the Book of Genesis and argues that “God’s joinder of man and woman in marriage, exemplary as it is, inspired the secular law governing marriage.”</p><p>* <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/14-556_Religious_Organizations_Public_Speakers_and_Scholars_Concerned_About_Free_Speech.pdf">The brief</a> of a coalition called “Religious Organizations, Public Speakers, and Scholars Concerned About Free Speech,” states that “[f]or two millenia, Christians have based their definition of marriage on the words of Jesus Christ.”</p><p>* The Foundation For Moral Law, a group founded by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/14-55614-56214-57114-574bsacFoundationForMoralLaw.pdf">advises that</a> “[t]he Bible, which has influenced moral values for Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other religions, contains clear disapproval of homosexual conduct in the Old Testament (Leviticus 18:22) and in the New Testament (Romans 1:26–27).”</p><p>* A group of self-proclaimed “Major Religious Organizations” <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/14-556_Major_Religious_Organizations.pdf">warns that</a> the Supreme Court cannot recognize marriage equality “without inflicting grave harm on millions of religious believers and their cherished beliefs and institutions.”</p><p>This is not the first time that religion has been invoked to justify marriage discrimination. Similar resorts to religion fueled legal opposition to interracial marriage – in some cases until quite recently.</p><p>In the 19th and early-20th centuries, state courts in Indiana, Georgia and Pennsylvania cited religious reasons for preventing different people of different races from marrying each other. In the 1960s, the trial judge in <em><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/388/1">Loving v. Virginia</a> </em>– the case in which the Supreme Court struck down state bans on interracial marriage – wrote, “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And, but for the interference with his arrangement, there would be no cause for such marriage. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.”</p><p>After the Supreme Court invalidated bans on interracial marriage, Bob Jones University still argued that the freedom of religion provisions of the First Amendment allowed it to ban interracial dating and keep its tax-exempt status while doing so, because its “rule against interracial dating is a matter of religious belief and practice.” And after the Supreme Court rejected this argument, in 1983, the university <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/marchweb-only/53.0.html">continued to ban interracial dating</a> until the year 2000.</p><p>Even the more subtle legal defenses of same-sex marriage bans mirror the arguments used to defend bans on interracial marriage. There are arguments based on tradition: In 1967, Virginia officials <a href="https://viewfromll2.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/richard-perry-loving-et-ux-appellants-v-virginia-appellee.pdf">told the Supreme Court</a> that “The Virginia [bans on interracial marriage] reflect a policy which has obtained in this Commonwealth for over two centuries in which still obtains in seventeen states.” Now, in 2015, Michigan <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/14-571-bs.pdf">tells the Supreme Court</a> that it “has defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman since before statehood.” <a href="http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/14-574_-bs.pdf">Kentucky says</a> that same-sex marriage “is not deeply rooted in this Nation’s history.”</p><p>And there are arguments based on dubious social science and vague premonitions. In 1967, Virginia warned the court that it would quickly “find itself mired in a veritable Serbonian bog of conflicting scientific opinion upon the effects of interracial marriage,” an obscure reference to a place in ancient Egypt where one could be sucked under by quicksand. Now, in 2015, Michigan warns the high court that “[a] rational voter might worry about the law of unintended consequences, and might conclude that there is some risk that changing the definition of marriage to remove its inherent connection to procreation might undermine it in the long term as an institution for linking parents to their biological children.”</p><p>Despite these parallels, attorneys for the states defending same-sex-marriage bans have resisted the comparison to bans on interracial marriage. But the lawyers doth protest too much, methinks. Although the targets of this discrimination have changed, the reasons are the same. And today’s bans on marriage equality deserve the same fate as those stuck down nearly 50 years ago in the <em>Loving</em> decision.</p><p><em>Greg Lipper is senior litigation counsel at Americans United. Follow him on Twitter at @theglipper.</em></p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/marriage">Marriage</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/au-defends-marriage-equality">AU Defends Marriage Equality</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/supreme-court">Supreme Court</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/virginia">virginia</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span></div></div>Thu, 23 Apr 2015 15:25:42 +0000Rob Boston11049 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/deja-vu-all-over-again-religious-objections-to-interracial-marriage-and#commentsReasonable Settlementhttps://www.au.org/church-state/april-2015-church-state/featured/reasonable-settlement
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>For the past six years, visitors to the city hall of Warren, Mich., have encountered something few municipal buildings have: a large booth marked “Prayer Station.”</p><p>Staffed four days a week, the prayer booth offers spiritual counseling and religious literature to those visiting the building. City officials justified it by saying that residents of the economically challenged municipality need a pick-me-up.</p><p>Not everyone in town thought the Prayer Station was appropriate for city hall. One Warren resident, Douglas Marshall, decided to ask if he could set up a Reason Station. Marshall’s booth would be similar in size to the Prayer Station but would offer information about freethought instead of Christianty.</p><p>The answer from city officials was a firm no. But that is about to change. As a result of a federal lawsuit, the Detroit suburb will finally get an atheist-oriented display in city hall.</p><p>In February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Hluchaniuk approved a settlement in <em>Marshall v. City of Warren</em>, which paves the way for a Reason Station to appear alongside the Christian Prayer Station. Americans United brought the suit in July alongside the ACLU of Michigan and the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) after Warren’s mayor, Jim Fouts, rejected Marshall’s application to create the display.</p><p>Marshall, who identifies as an atheist, told reporters at the time that he simply wanted to provide a secular alternative to the Prayer Station. Members of the Tabernacle Church, a local Pentecostal congregation affiliated with the Church of God, have run the display since 2009; volunteers pass out religious literature and pray with interested passersby.</p><p>This seemed like an odd pairing to some in town. Church members would have the right to pass out literature in public areas or go door to door to proselytize, but why must these activities take place inside city hall?</p><p>To Marshall, the scheme amounted to an official city endorsement of a particular brand of Christianity – after all, no other religious groups were given such exclusive access to the people who work at and visit city hall. Marshall also believed that church members were recruiting new members for their congregation with the city’s help.</p><p>But Fouts saw things differently, and he didn’t mince words in his response to Marshall’s proposal to run a secular station.</p><p>“Freedom from Religion is not a religion,” Fouts wrote in a letter to Marshall, rejecting the idea. “It has no tenets, no place of worship and no congregation. To my way of thinking, your group is strictly an anti-religion group intending to deprive all organized religions of their constitutional freedoms or at least discourage the practice of religion. <u>The City of Warren cannot allow this.</u>” (Emphasis in original.)</p><p>Fouts also accused Marshall of trying to “disrupt” the Prayer Station, an act that would, the mayor claimed, violate the First Amendment’s protections for religious freedom.</p><p>When Marshall lined up legal firepower from AU, the ACLU and FFRF, the mayor didn’t react well. After Americans United and its allies filed suit against the city of Warren, Fouts turned to the media to defend his position – and to make inflammatory remarks about atheism. (See “An Appeal To Reason,” October 2014 <em>Church &amp; State</em>.)</p><p>“The city has certain values that I don’t believe are in general agreement with having an atheist station, nor in general agreement with having a Nazi station or Ku Klux Klan station,” Fouts told the Associated Press. “I cannot accept or will not allow a group that is disparaging of another group to have a station here.”</p><p>(Fouts later walked the comments back a bit, telling the Huffington Post that atheists could be “loyal Americans just like anybody else.” But Fouts stuck to his position on the Reason Station, insisting that it would “promote conflict, consternation and controversy.”)</p><p>In court, the three groups argued that Warren officials had opened up a forum at city hall and then tried to deny access to it. This, the groups asserted, was a clear violation of First Amendment principles.</p><p>As the case progressed, Warren officials must have realized they were fighting a losing battle. Settlement talks were opened, and the case was brought to a conclusion in late February. The settlement means that Fouts’ crusade for the Prayer Station to stand alone has finally sputtered to an end.</p><p>Hluchaniuk signed a brief settlement order, and in it he put a swift end to the mayor’s discriminatory policy.</p><p>“The Reason Station will be allowed to operate on terms not less favorable than the terms granted to the ‘Prayer Station’ currently allowed in the atrium space,” Hluchaniuk ordered. “The Reason Station’s identifying sign shall say only ‘Reason Station,’ but there shall be no restriction on the content of the materials on the Reason Station’s table.”</p><p>Americans United and its allies applauded the result as a long overdue victory for equal access and viewpoint diversity. In a joint statement, released alongside the ACLU of Michigan and FFRF, AU Associate Legal Director Alex J. Luchenitser hailed the settlement as an important development.</p><p>“This settlement protects the rights of freethinkers and non-theists,” said Luchenitser. “And it’s also an important reminder to government bodies that they must play fair when it comes to freedom of speech. They don’t have the right to favor religious viewpoints over others.”</p><p>Dan Korobkin, the ACLU of Michigan’s associate legal director, echoed that sentiment in the statement.</p><p>“This settlement serves as a reminder that government officials have no business deciding which religious messages can and cannot be allowed into our public spaces,” Korobkin observed. “The First Amendment guarantees us all the right to speak freely about our beliefs – or lack thereof. Mr. Marshall should be lauded for resisting the mayor’s attempt to silence him by favoring religious groups over non-religious groups.”</p><p>Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the FFRF, lauded Marshall’s “gump­tion” and thanked him for sticking with the lawsuit.</p><p>As for Marshall himself, he’s glad the lawsuit is over, and he looks forward to finally starting his Reason Station this spring. </p><p>“I’m happy [the city of] Warren decided to be reasonable,” Marshall told <em>Church &amp; State</em>. He added that he hopes to start running the Reason Station in April, although there are some logistical obstacles to conquer first. He must re-apply to open the station and include an insurance certification with his application in order to start the display.</p><p>But he doesn’t foresee much trouble. This time, he even has help. “I’ve got at least eight volunteers,” he says with some satisfaction. Since Marshall intends to keep the station open eight hours a week, he’ll need the assistance.</p><p>His motivation for starting the station remains the same: dialogue. “I’m hoping to provide an alternative to the Prayer Station for people who have no interest in prayer but who are interested in reason and logic,” he said.</p><p>Marshall’s not sorry to put the lawsuit behind him. “I’m glad the process is over,” he added.</p><p>Many of Marshall’s allies in the freethought/humanist community are pleased he took a stand. During the annual meeting of Michigan Atheists in December in Ann Arbor, Marshall was given a special award for his efforts.</p><p>Back in Warren, Fouts has said little about the lawsuit since its resolution, but in an interview with the Detroit <em>Free Press</em>, he stood by his original decision to reject the station.</p><p>“I was afraid this would promote conflict in city hall,” Fouts said.</p><p>Fouts’ objection apparently stems from Marshall’s FFRF membership and FFRF’s previous attempt to erect a secular holiday scene at the Warren city hall.</p><p>“They tried to claim that they [FFRF] were a church ... and I didn’t think they fit that definition,” Fouts told the <em>Free Press</em>. “Irregardless, I didn’t feel at the time that it was necessary to have a Reason Station.”</p><p>Despite the fact that the city submitted to a court order ending its discriminatory conduct and requiring it to pay attorneys’ fees, Fouts insisted that he has been “victorious.”</p><p>Attorneys at Americans United disagree.</p><p>“It was inappropriate for Mayor Fouts to speak of atheism in such a disparaging manner, and he should never have rejected the Reason Station at all,” Luchenitser, who oversaw Americans United’s work in the litigation, told <em>Church &amp; State</em>. “We’re glad this violation of Mr. Marshall’s rights is at an end.”</p><p>He added, “Warren is a diverse town and it’s appropriate to have a variety of beliefs represented in city hall.” </p></div></div><a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><h3 >Thanks To Legal Help From Americans United, A Michigan Town’s Prayer Station Is Getting Some&nbsp;Company</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-refusals-and-rfra">Religious Refusals and RFRA</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10989" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">April</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/featured/hate-peddlers">Hate Peddlers</a></h3>
<h4>Religious Right Outfits Call Americans United Bigoted And Label The Group A ‘Dangerous’ Enemy Of Christianity</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/featured/court-jester">Court Jester</a></h3>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/featured/reasonable-settlement">Reasonable Settlement</a></h3>
<h4>Thanks To Legal Help From Americans United, A Michigan Town’s Prayer Station Is Getting Some Company</h4> </div>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/people-events/au-monitoring-state-religious-freedom-bills-that">AU Monitoring State ‘Religious Freedom’ Bills That Threaten Rights</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/people-events/ny-officials-allow-religion-in-pre-k-program-to">N.Y. Officials Allow Religion In Pre-K Program To Attract More Groups</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/people-events/muslim-leader-s-prayer-invitation-sparks-fuss-in">Muslim Leader’s Prayer Invitation Sparks Fuss In North Dakota</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/books-ideas/one-nation-under-gods">One Nation, Under Gods</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/perspective/travel-travails-sometimes-getting-from-here-to">Travel Travails: Sometimes, Getting From Here To There Can Be A Challenge</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/editorial/the-cross-s-purpose-government-must-focus-on-secular">The Cross’s Purpose: Government Must Focus On Secular, Not Sacred</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/editorial/dixie-defiance-ala-officials-haven-t-learned-from">Dixie Defiance: Ala. Officials Haven’t Learned From History</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/us-house-rejects-neo-voucher-measure">U.S. House Rejects Neo-Voucher Measure</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/miss-proposes-religious-exemption-for-bus-drivers">Miss. Proposes Religious Exemption For Bus Drivers </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/nc-prison-sued-over-ban-on-humanist-groups">N.C. Prison Sued Over Ban On Humanist Groups</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/dismissed-atlanta-fire-chief-sues-for">Dismissed Atlanta Fire Chief Sues For Discrimination</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/au-files-brief-in-colo-discrimination-case">AU Files Brief In Colo. Discrimination Case</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/april-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/bible-bus-removed-from-mich-public-school-property">‘Bible Bus’ Removed From Mich. Public School Property</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/prayer-station">Prayer Station</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/warren-michigan">Warren Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/freedom-religion-foundation">Freedom From Religion Foundation</a></span></div></div>Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:15:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10992 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/church-state/april-2015-church-state/featured/reasonable-settlement#commentsMich. Town Officials Vote To Stop Displaying Cross After AU Interventionhttps://www.au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/mich-town-officials-vote-to-stop-displaying
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A Michigan city will stop displaying a large cross on a publicly owned hill in response to a complaint lodged by Americans United.</p><p>The decision was made during a Jan. 5 meeting of the Grand Haven City Council. The news website MLive.com reported that the council voted 3-2 to end its policy of sporadically displaying the cross, which was often attached to a hydraulic lift.</p><p>Representing local residents led by Mitch Kahle and Holly Huber, Americans United last year sent a letter to officials in Grand Haven to protest the 48-foot tall, 24-foot wide cross that sits on Dewey Hill. The city, which has a population of about 11,000, had displayed the cross annually in conjunction with a religious festival and on other occasions. In December, the hill also played host to a large nativity scene.</p><p>The religious festival, “Worship on the Waterfront,” is a summer event sponsored by the First Reformed Church. A group called the Worship on the Waterfront Committee pays rent to a local stadium to host the event. But despite that rental fee, there is still some cost to local taxpayers associated with city employees who raise and lower the cross.</p><p>City officials considered allowing other groups to use the lift to display private messages but rejected that option after some residents expressed interest in erecting messages promoting humanism, LGBT rights and abortion rights.</p><p>Instead, the cross will be converted into an anchor. The change, town officials said, will further cement the community’s historic ties to the Coast Guard. (Grand Haven, which is located on Lake Michigan, sponsors an annual Coast Guard Festival.)</p><p>Americans United had made it clear that it might sue over the matter, and the potential for expensive litigation was a factor in the council’s decision.</p><p>“We’ve spent $12,000 on this and we haven’t even gone to court,” Council member John Hierholzer said. “I don’t want your tax dollars to keep going to have your cross or your nativity scene up there.” </p><p>Rather than press on in court, city officials decided to put the issue to rest.</p><p>“You can look up there and see an anchor and think it’s a cross in your mind,” Mayor Pro-tem Michael Fritz said. “The anchor is more acceptable in everybody’s eyes. We have to move forward.”</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/government-sponsored-religious-displays">Government-Sponsored Religious Displays</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">February</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<h4>Books That Support Church-State Separation</h4> </div>
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<h3 class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/featured/venal-vandal">Venal Vandal</a></h3>
<h4>Fla. Tea Partier And &#039;Catholic Warrior&#039; Attacks Religious Display At State Capitol Building</h4> </div>
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</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-people--events"> <h3>People &amp; Events</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/mich-town-officials-vote-to-stop-displaying">Mich. Town Officials Vote To Stop Displaying Cross After AU Intervention</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-perspective"> <h3>Perspective</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/perspective/hats-in-the-ring-early-questions-for">Hats In The Ring: Early Questions For Presidential Contenders</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-editorial"> <h3>Editorial</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/a-troubled-voyage-ky-ark-park-never-deserved">A Troubled Voyage: Ky. ‘Ark Park’ Never Deserved Taxpayer Aid </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/editorial/politicians-at-prayer-their-goal-is-usually">Politicians At Prayer: Their Goal Is Usually Winning Votes, Not Souls </a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/grand-haven">Grand Haven</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/dewey-hill-cross">Dewey Hill Cross</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:48:56 +0000Timothy Ritz10861 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/mich-town-officials-vote-to-stop-displaying#commentsSo-Called ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill Fails In Mich. https://www.au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/so-called-religious-freedom-bill-fails-in-mich
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>An attempt to pass a “religious freedom” bill in Michigan died after Senate Majority Leader Randy Rachardville did not let it come to a vote.</p><p>The bill had drawn the ire of LGBT rights groups, who argued that it would effectively legalize discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Of particular concern was a provision that would have allowed adoption agencies to discriminate against families headed by same-sex couples.</p><p>Americans United helped mobilize opposition to the bill. AU’s legislative team sent an action alert to Michigan residents, asking them to contact their representatives and urge them to reject the bill.</p><p>Supporters of the measure argued that it would merely codify the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) at the state level.</p><p>“Suggestions that people will suddenly be able to ignore existing laws are nothing more than scaremongering tactics without any basis in reality,” said Ari Adler, spokesman for Mich­igan House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall). But critics said the Michigan version went way beyond the federal RFRA.</p><p>The bill passed the state House of Representatives easily, but stalled in the Senate. Rachardville cited scheduling as an issue, and the bill could be reintroduced this legislative term.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/outside-workplace-discrimination-exemptions-religious-practice-including-military-prisons">Institutional Discrimination, Exemptions &amp; Religious Practice (Including Military, Prisons &amp; Healthcare)</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-refusals-and-rfra">Religious Refusals and RFRA</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10837" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">February</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2015</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/so-called-religious-freedom-bill-fails-in-mich">So-Called ‘Religious Freedom’ Bill Fails In Mich. </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/lawsuit-over-calif-cross-may-spark-land-sale">Lawsuit Over Calif. Cross May Spark Land Sale To Private Group </a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/february-2015-church-state/people-events/orthodox-jewish-group-announces-major-push-for">Orthodox Jewish Group Announces Major Push For School Aid In New York</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-freedom-restoration-act-rfra">Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)</a></span></div></div>Mon, 02 Feb 2015 15:45:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10850 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/church-state/february-2015-church-state/au-bulletin/so-called-religious-freedom-bill-fails-in-mich#commentsNot The Justice League: Conservative Coalition Unites To Defend Michigan Same-Sex Marriage Banhttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/not-the-justice-league-conservative-coalition-unites-to-defend-michigan
<a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Led by the Michigan Catholic Conference, the Thomas More Law Center, and other conservative Protestant denominations like the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a coalition of faith leaders have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in defense of the embattled ban. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The fate of Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban will soon be determined by the courts. In March, a judge struck the ban down, calling it unconstitutional. Michigan’s attorney general, Bill Schuette, immediately filed an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-to-recognize-same-sex-marriages-in-michigan/2014/03/28/9ad9fb76-b678-11e3-b84e-897d3d12b816_story.html">appeal</a>—and he’s recently attracted some new allies.<br /><br />Led by the Michigan Catholic Conference, the Thomas More Law Center, and other conservative Protestant denominations like the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a coalition of faith leaders have filed friend-of-the-court briefs in defense of the embattled ban. As the Detroit <em>Free Press</em> <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20140514/NEWS05/305140165/black-ministers-oppose-gay-marriage">reports</a>, coalition members explained their motivations at a recent press conference.<br /><br />“We believe in the Judeo-Christian conception on which America was founded upon,” said the Rev. Rader Johnson, who represents Greater Bibleway Temple in Bay City, Mich.</p><p>The Rev. Rex Evans of Freewill Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, Mich., echoed that belief and criticized backers of marriage equality as “small group of people trying to destroy the foundation” of the country. “We love everybody, but we don't love the [gay] lifestyle,” Evans said.</p><p>The coalition does represent a sizable portion of the state’s faith communities. The Michigan Catholic Conference alone represents over 2 million people; in its brief, it argues that the ban, which is the product of a popular referendum, should not “be cast aside in favor of the ascendant views of a currently popular minority.”<br /><br />The brief further argued that “traditional” marriage, which the Conference defines as marriage between a man and a woman, “by its nature is ordered towards our survival.”<br /><br />The coalition may sound powerful on paper, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind. For example, many Michigan Catholics disagree with the bishops on same-sex marriage and other issues.</p><p>Nor does this coalition speak for all people of faith. It’s largely composed of fundamentalist and ultra-Orthodox groups augmented by some African-American churches whose leaders have, sadly, embraced homophobia.</p><p>Other Christian denominations have come out against the ban, arguing that it doesn’t represent their beliefs.</p><p>“As a Christian pastor who holds marriage to be a sacred covenant, I have come to believe that this institution should be extended to committed gay and lesbian couples,” said the Rev. Bob Cornwall of Central Woodward Christian Church, which is affiliated with the Disciples of Christ.<br /><br />According to Cornwall, the ban unfairly restricts the rights of same-sex couples, as well as the rights of clergy who believe that their faith compels them to perform same-sex marriages. The latter argument is beginning to gain traction among mainline Protestant denominations. In North Carolina, the United Church of Christ has filed suit against the state’s same-sex marriage, on the basis that it violates their religious freedom. That state’s ban also makes it a misdemeanor for clergy to perform same-sex marriages, which sets it apart from other, similar restrictions on marriage equality.<br /><br />The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments in the case in coming weeks. And when its judges deliberate Michigan’s ban, they should do so with the Constitution, not a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible, in mind. Johnson, Evans and their peers may believe the debunked notion that America is a Christian nation, and that extending civil rights to same-sex couples deviates from some mythological fundamentalist national character.<br /><br />But those beliefs don’t have any basis in fact, and they shouldn’t influence the court’s ruling. This coalition has failed utterly to present any secular argument against same-sex marriage. Instead, it’s repeated the Religious Right’s favorite talking points, as if saying a thing often, and with passion, can somehow make it true.<br /><br />That’s simply not how the world works—and it’s not how the law works, either. State bans on same-sex marriage are toppling across the country (<a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ruling-gay-marriages-now-arkansas">Arkansas</a> is the latest to join their number) because opponents of marriage equality have failed to present constitutional arguments to support their position.<br /><br />Dogma is fine for a church service; it makes a poor basis for public policy. </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/marriage">Marriage</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/thomas-more-law-center">Thomas More Law Center</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan-catholic-conference">Michigan Catholic Conference</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/same-sex-marriage">same-sex marriage</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span></div></div>Fri, 16 May 2014 16:10:13 +0000Ms. Sarah Jones9977 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/not-the-justice-league-conservative-coalition-unites-to-defend-michigan#commentsThe People Speak: Parents With Children In School Say No To Vouchershttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-people-speak-parents-with-children-in-school-say-no-to-vouchers
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Despite all of its slick propaganda, the voucher gang isn’t winning over the people who really matter: parents</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>For years, anti-public school interest groups that favor privatization schemes have smacked their lips and salivated as they’ve contemplated the demise of public education.</p><p>But a funny thing happened: The people who actually rely on public education – America’s parents – aren’t buying it.</p><p>A new poll that will be released today by the American Federation of Teachers surveyed people who have children in public school. <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/poll-parents-dont-support-many-education-policy-changes/2013/07/21/f90e3722-f0b0-11e2-9008-61e94a7ea20d_story.html">It found a good deal of skepticism</a> over the “reforms” peddled by the privatization squad. Most parents, it seems, would rather see their neighborhood schools strengthened than be given a voucher for tuition at a religious or other private school.</p><p>Fifty-six percent said they are opposed to voucher plans. The only thing surprising about this is that the number isn’t higher. When people are given an opportunity to vote directly on “education choice” referenda, they always reject vouchers by hefty margins.</p><p>In 2000, voters in Michigan and California voted on voucher schemes. The results were 69 percent and 70 percent opposed respectively. Even voters in Utah – hardly a bastion of liberalism – trashed vouchers 62-38 percent in 2007.</p><p>And let’s not forget Florida. Voters there were asked in 2012 to remove a provision of their state constitution that curbs tax aid to sectarian schools and other ministries, thus opening the door to vouchers.</p><p>Despite an influx of money from out-of-state interest groups and appeals from the Catholic hierarchy and the Religious Right, the amendment was trounced. Passage required a 60-percent super-majority; Amendment 8 fell far short, garnering only about 44 percent and carrying only six of 67 counties.</p><p>Pro-voucher forces, led by wealthy individuals who despise public education and teachers’ unions, have over the years poured millions of dollars into privatization schemes and friendly candidates’ campaigns. They’ve joined hands with sectarian lobbies that have sought taxpayer subsidies for decades.</p><p>To be sure, this nefarious alliance has scored some legislative victories. Indiana has set up a statewide plan, Wisconsin’s program is being expanded and a plan in Washington, D.C., continues to hang on. A number of states also have “neo-voucher” schemes that divert money into private (mostly religious) schools through convoluted tax-credit schemes.</p><p>But despite all of its slick propaganda, the voucher gang isn’t winning over the people who really matter: parents. Perhaps this is because just about every voucher program out there has been plagued with scandal (like <a href="https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-voucher-nightmare-louisiana-choice-scheme-is-rife-with-shoddy">this train wreck</a> in Louisiana) and has failed to boost student achievement.</p><p>People who actually rely on the public schools to educate their children – as opposed to ideologues sitting in some well-funded think tank somewhere – can see the obvious flaws in these plans and want to keep them at arm’s length.</p><p>What’s amusing (and also kind of sad) is listening to the voucher boosters try to explain away these failures. When <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/january-2013-church-state/editorial/failed-experiment-it-s-time-to-shut-down-dc-s">study after study</a> failed to show that students in private voucher schools were excelling academically, data-proof voucher ideologues took to citing surveys that showed some parents felt better about their students being in private schools.</p><p>That’s nice. Unfortunately, the fact that the parents feel better won’t get little Johnny into college.</p><p>Lately, voucher advocates, in their desperation, have taken to arguing that voucher schools post higher graduation rates. Education researcher Diane Ravitch <a href="http://dianeravitch.net/2013/03/29/vouchers-dont-work-evidence-from-milwaukee/">points out</a> that they use fuzzy math to back up the claim.</p><p>Nevertheless, the right-wing retains an almost childlike faith in the power of vouchers. They can do anything! Lately, leading Republicans have been talking about using vouchers to win over black and Latino voters. (Never mind the fact that in the ballot referenda I mentioned, black and Latino voters opposed vouchers at the same rate or slightly higher than whites.)</p><p>Our public schools are stretched too thin in many parts of the country. They need more support, not less. Parents of school-aged children agree. Perhaps it’s time politicians start listening to them instead of voucher zealots peddling the same old snake oil.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/vouchers">Vouchers</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/american-federation-of-teachers">American Federation of Teachers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/vouchers">vouchers</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/diane-ravitch">Diane Ravitch</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/louisiana">louisiana</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/california">California</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/florida">Florida</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span></div></div>Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:14:16 +0000Rob Boston8779 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-people-speak-parents-with-children-in-school-say-no-to-vouchers#commentsHalting Harassment: Public School Efforts To Protect Students Run Into Religious Right Bullieshttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/halting-harassment-public-school-efforts-to-protect-students-run-into
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Michigan&#039;s new anti-bullying law contains a loophole for religiously-based harassment.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Many public schools are finally taking an overdue look at the problem of bullying. A number of state legislatures have even weighed in to address the issue.</p><p>That’s good news. After all, it’s impossible for a young person to do well in school if he or she is being bullied or is worried about being bullied.</p><p>In Michigan, this issue has taken on special importance. A 14-year-old there named Matt Epling committed suicide in 2002 after relentless anti-gay bullying. Matt’s family and friends lobbied the legislature to pass a law mandating that public schools establish policies protecting all students.</p><p>A bill did pass recently, a measure that is named for Epling – but it has a major flaw: It leaves school powerless to stop verbal bullying if such bullying is based on “a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction.”</p><p>This provision was slipped into the bill at the last minute by Republicans in the Michigan Senate. It amounts to a huge loophole. If you want to verbally harass a gay student in Michigan, all you have to do is cite the Book of Leviticus and you’re good to go. You can also point to biblical passages to excuse your blasts against Muslims, Jews, Hindus, atheists, etc.</p><p>Blogging at the <em>Washington Post</em>, Brad Hirschfield was appalled. Hirschfield, a rabbi who is president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, said Michigan lawmakers might have actually <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/michigan-anti-bullying-law-protects-religious-bullies/2011/11/06/gIQAhZIdtM_blog.html?hpid=z7">made things worse</a>.</p><p>“In fact, the passage of this legislation may well set back the cause of protecting kids from their tormentors by moving the focus of attention from the damage bullies do, to legal wrangling about the religious and moral basis of their bullying,” Hirschfield wrote. “Instead of addressing the damage done by bullies and legislating against it, this law incentivizes debate about bullies’ intent and how they ‘justify’ their actions against those they hate.”</p><p>Dan Savage, a syndicated sex-advice columnist who runs a campaign designed to help gay teens, also blasted the Michigan law.</p><p>“It’s a law that specifically empowers students, teachers, administrators [and] principals to bully LGBT kids if they can point to a moral justification,” Savage <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/Parenting/license-bully-backlash-lbgt-victims-father-matt-epling/story?id=14885102#.TrlJFnJ-TTo">told ABC News.com</a>. “You have a right to your own religious beliefs. You don’t have a right to inflict your private moral judgments on those people in a place where you are a public servant and an employee of the state…. Michigan should be ashamed of itself.”</p><p>Public outcry over the measure has led Republican legislators to begin talking about altering the law. Ari Adler, a spokesperson for Speaker of the House Jase Bolger, <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20111107/NEWS06/111107040/House-GOP-leaders-seek-compromise-controversial-anti-bullying-legislation">told </a>the Detroit <em>Free Press</em> that Bolger is working on some changes that will “bring everyone to the middle of the road and provide protection to all students.”</p><p>I’m not sure what that means. I do know that the law as it exists doesn’t really address the bullying problem because it contains an easy out – “I sincerely believe my religion hates gay people, so I get to call this kid names all day!” A law this weak certainly doesn’t honor the memory of Matt Epling.</p><p>Legislators need to summon up some gumption and stand up to Religious Right groups, some of which are so blinded with homophobia that they’ve joined the pro-bullying caucus.</p><p>Consider Tom McClusky, vice president of Government Affairs for the Family Research Council. When President Barack Obama expressed support for anti-bullying initiatives earlier this year, McClusky <a href="http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2011/03/21/family-research-council-doesnt-want-lgbt-students-protected-from-bullying/">insisted </a>that Obama seeks to force anti-gay students “in the closet.”</p><p>As for Michigan, it’s time to return to the drawing board. This time, instead of a compromise or an attempt to bring everyone to the middle of the road, how about a simple policy instead: Zero tolerance for bullies in school. If you bully a fellow student for any reason, you will get in trouble.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-issues-regarding-religion-schools-and-universities">Other Issues regarding Religion in Schools and Universities</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/descriptions-and-activities-religious-right-groups">Descriptions and Activities of Religious Right Groups</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/bullying">Bullying</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/matt-epling">Matt Epling</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/family-research-council">Family Research Council</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tom-mcclusky">Tom McClusky</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/dan-savage">Dan Savage</a></span></div></div>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:15:33 +0000Rob Boston6294 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/halting-harassment-public-school-efforts-to-protect-students-run-into#commentsDegree In Discrimination?: Proposed Michigan Law Condones Bias In University Counseling Programshttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/degree-in-discrimination-proposed-michigan-law-condones-bias-in-university
<a href="/about/people/bathija">Sandhya Bathija</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Legislators in Michigan are proposing a bill that opens the door to religiously grounded discrimination in counseling services.</p>
<p>Sen. Tupac Hunter (D-Detroit), the Senate’s Democratic floor leader, has co-sponsored a <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2011-2012/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2011-SIB-0518.pdf">measure</a> with Sen. Mark Jansen (R-Grand Rapids) that would allow university counseling students to cite their religious beliefs and decline to treat certain clients. That means if a client fails to comply with the counseling students’ personal religious convictions, the students can opt out of providing help and still be eligible to graduate from an accredited, publicly funded university.</p>
<p>It’s just what the Alliance Defense Fund has been advocating for. That Religious Right group is representing former Eastern Michigan University (EMU) student Julea Ward in a lawsuit challenging her dismissal from EMU’s counseling program. Ward refused to counsel a gay client as part of an advanced course.</p>
<p>Ward, a full-time public school teacher working on her master’s, said she would not “affirm any behavior that goes against what the Bible says.” She told university officials that she would always refer to other counselors all clients who seek help for relationship issues that she believes to be “against the teachings of the Bible.”</p>
<p>School officials <a href="http://www.au.org/media/church-and-state/archives/2011/04/counseling-clash.html">said</a> they could not graduate someone who refused to treat all clients fairly in compliance with national ethical standards for accredited programs. These standards prohibit “imposing values that are inconsistent with counseling goals” and “discrimination based on…sexual orientation.” (So-called “reparative therapy,” which seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation, is regarded as ineffective and potentially harmful.)</p>
<p>The ADF’s lawsuit on behalf of Ward, which is now before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, argues that the school has violated her free speech and religious liberty rights. Americans United, which filed a <a href="http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2011/02/ward-v-wilbanks-amicus.pdf">friend-of-the-court brief</a> in <em>Ward v. Wilbanks</em>, says this is just another example of the Religious Right wanting a special exemption and a free pass to discriminate.</p>
<p>The proposed Michigan measure (S.B. 518), which was just introduced June 23, would prevent universities from dismissing counseling, social work or psychology students who choose not to assist clients because of conflicting religious beliefs.</p>
<p>"I firmly believe that it is wrong for any institution of higher learning in this state to expel a student from a program because of their refusal to compromise their own belief system," Hunter <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20110713/NEWS06/107130327/Democrat-s-bill-would-let-counseling-students-decline-clients-over-beliefs?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s">said</a> in a statement.</p>
<p>I firmly believe that it is wrong for the state of Michigan to condone discrimination – and that’s just what this measure would do. Americans United is keeping a close eye on this legislation and will keep you posted.</p>
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</div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/alliance-defense-fund">Alliance Defense Fund</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/counseling">counseling</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/eastern-michigan-university">Eastern Michigan University</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/julea-ward">Julea Ward</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/michigan">Michigan</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/religious-exemptions">religious exemptions</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tupac-hunter">Tupac Hunter</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/ward-v-wilbanks">Ward v. Wilbanks</a></span></div></div>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:02:33 +0000Sandhya Bathija2545 at https://www.au.orghttps://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/degree-in-discrimination-proposed-michigan-law-condones-bias-in-university#comments